At a court in the Iranian capital Tehran, a French lecturer and two Iranian nationals working for the French and British embassies have admitted taking part in anti-government demonstrations. The three are accused of espionage and inciting riots.

The lecturer, 24-year-old Clotilde Reisse, told the court she provided the French embassy in Tehran with a written report on the situation in Isfahan, where she was teaching. She was arrested on 1 July at Tehran airport as she was preparing to leave the country.

The British embassy employee, Hossein Rassam, has been charged with espionage. Britain's Foreign Secretary David Miliband said the charges were unjustified. The European Union presidency, currently held by Sweden, has called on Iran to release Ms Reisse and the embassy staffers.

Former Iranian President Mohammed Khatami and opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi have denounced the trials. Espionage carries the death penalty in Iran. It is not yet known when the court will deliver its verdict.